Solvang Takes Second Place in 10Best Readers’ Choice “Best Small Town in the West”

Solvang has won the title of the second “Best Small Town in the West” in the 2024 USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Travel Awards. The public announcement of the results was made this month placing Solvang between the category winner, Seward, Alaska, and the third-place holder, Grants, New Mexico.

In the 2024 edition of the awards, Solvang received nominations from a panel of experts and the 10Best editorial team for two travel categories: “Best Small Town in the West” and “Best Main Street.”

The online voting period for the “Best Small Town in the West” started on March 4 and concluded on April 1. The results for the “Best Main Street” category are yet to be announced.

Solvang, known as the “Danish Capital of America,” has had previous success in the USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. With its Danish roots and a resident population of around 6,000, Solvang was recognized as one of the 10 Best Historic Small Town winners in 2018 and 2016.

In 2017, the town was highlighted by USA TODAY as one of the “10 great places to enjoy global Christmas traditions in the USA.” Solvang was also nominated in 2022 for the “Best Historic Small Town” and “Best Small Town Cultural Scene” categories, securing seventh place in the latter category’s winners’ list.

In the 2024 awards, Solvang represented California as the only town in the top 10 winners’ list for the “Best Small Town in the West” category. This year, rounding out the fourth through tenth place winners in the category are: Cody, Wyoming; Manitou Springs, Colorado; Gig Harbor, Washington; Bainbridge Island, Washington; Williams, Arizona; Durango, Colorado; and Ashland, Oregon, respectively.

The 10Best Readers’ Choice awards annually showcase the top 20 nominees across travel and lifestyle topics. The contest covers various areas such as food, lodging, destinations, travel gear, things to do, and seasonal family fun. The public is allowed to vote online for one nominee per category per day, with each contest closing after four weeks of digital voting.